Lord & Taylor in New York return — but only temporarily for now

The department store retailer, which was acquired by fashion rental company Le Tote, will open a pop-up in SoHo on Dec. 11 (closing on Christmas Eve). The approximate 2,500-sq.-ft. store, will sell a curated assortment of merchandise developed in-house, including Lord & Taylor’s signature private-label cashmere sweaters, and also showcase Le Tote's clothing rental subscription service.

Le Tote completed its acquisition of Lord & Taylor in November. The company assumed operations of 38 Lord & Taylor stores and the brand’s digital channels and vast inventory.

While the pop-up will end its run on Christmas Eve, Le Tote founder and CEO Rakesh Tondon envisions possibly opening several 25,000-sq.-ft. Lord & Taylor locations in Manhattan, reported Women’s Wear Daily.

“The goal is to have a presence in New York, but I don’t think we need a store as big as 600,000 sq. ft.,” said. “If we were to do something it would be a 25,000-sq.-ft. location, and maybe a couple of locations that would cater to people in neighborhoods such as Midtown, the Upper East Side and Upper West Side. This would not be a copy of a past prototype.”